N-Way Synchronization of Desktop Images

1. A computer-implemented method in a server computing system for synchronizing a user desktop image across multiple computing devices connected via a network, comprising: creating and storing a one-to-many mapping in which multiple distinct computing devices of a user are bound in a group to a single centralized virtual desktop (CVD) data object stored and maintained by the server, wherein the CVD data object defines one or more layers including user files, user profile and settings, application software, an operating system, and hardware dependent software; cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices, wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises, for at least one device of the multiple computing devices: copying a base image that includes an operating system and infrastructure software, wherein the base image is not an exact replica of the base image layer of the CVD data object stored on the server, and wherein the base image is targeted for hardware of the at least one device; causing a portion of a library of drivers to be copied to the at least one device based upon a device type of the at least one device; and copying and/or integrating user content that includes at least one of user data, user profiles, and/or user installed applications; and maintaining synchronization of the at least portions of the user desktop image between all of the multiple computing devices in the group by receiving, to the CVD object on the server, updates to one or more of the layers of the CVD data object from a one of the computing devices that has been designated a master as a result of being actively operated by the user and pushing the received updates from the CVD object on the server to cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remaining computing devices in the group are designated inactive devices and are not permitted to update the one or more of the layers of the CVD data object stored on the server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices does not overwrite the machine identifier settings of each of the multiple computing devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises: for at least one device of the multiple computing devices, copying applications to the at least one device; and copying user content that includes at least one of user data, user profiles, and/or user installed applications; wherein the copying does not overwrite a base image that includes an operating system and infrastructure software that has already been instantiated on the at least one device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the base image that has already been instantiated includes a lean operating system and infrastructure software that is targeted to the at least one device.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the copying applications to the at least one devices merges the copied applications with applications already residing on the at least one device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises: for at least one device of the multiple computing devices, copying user content that includes at least one of user data, user profiles, and/or user installed applications; wherein the copying does not overwrite applications and a base image that includes an operating system and infrastructure software that have already been instantiated on the at least one device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining synchronization of the user desktop image between all of the multiple computing devices in the group further comprises: pushing only received updates to a user content layer of the CVD object to a cloned copy of the CVD data object on at least one computing device in the group that is not designated as the master.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: receiving updates to a plurality of layers of the CVD data object from a one of the computing devices that has been designated a master, wherein only one of the plurality of layers is a user content layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maintaining synchronization of the user desktop image between all of the multiple computing devices in the group further comprises: pushing only received updates to a user content layer and a server supplied application layer of the CVD object to a cloned copy of the CVD data object on at least one computing device in the group that is not designated as the master.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving updates to a user content layer of the CVD data object from the computing devices in the group that are not designated the master concurrently with receiving updates to the user content layer of the CVD data object from the computing device that has been designated as the master.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pushing the received updates to the one or more of the layers of the CVD object to cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group further comprises: performing a live synchronization of user files on the remaining computing devices in the group.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the live synchronization is performed by merging user files from the user content layer of the CVD data object with user files on the cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the merging user files is accomplished by preserving files with the same name and location designation but with different content as separate files on the cloned copy of the CVD data object on at least one of the remaining computing devices in the group.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pushing the received updates to the one or more of the layers of the CVD object to cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group further comprises: performing a lazy synchronization of user settings, operating system updates, and/or applications on the remaining computing devices in the group.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the lazy synchronization causing downloading of updates to a staging area of at least one of the remaining computing devices in the group.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple computing devices is a virtual machine and another one of the multiple computing devices is a physical computing device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium stored in a server computing system containing content for synchronizing a user desktop image across multiple computing devices connected via a network, by performing a method comprising: creating and storing a one-to-many mapping in which multiple distinct computing devices of a user are bound in a group to a single centralized virtual desktop (CVD) data object stored and maintained by the server, wherein the CVD data object defines one or more layers from a set comprising user files, user settings, application software, an operating system, and hardware dependent software; cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices, wherein the cloning one or more of the layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises, for at least one device of the multiple computing devices: copying a base image that includes an operating system and infrastructure software, wherein the base image is not an exact replica of the base image layer of the CVD data object stored on the server, and wherein the base image is targeted for hardware of the at least one device; causing a portion of a library of drivers to be copied to the at least one device based upon a device type of the at least one device; and copying and/or integrating user content that includes at least one of user data, user profiles, and/or user installed applications; and maintaining synchronization of the user desktop image between all of the multiple computing devices in the group by receiving, to the CVD object on the server, updates to one or more of the layers of the CVD data object from a one of the computing devices that has been designated a master as a result of being actively operated by the user and pushing the received updates from the CVD object on the server to cloned copies of the CVD data object on the remaining computing devices in the group.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the network is a local area network or a wide area network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the cloning the one or more layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices clones a portion of the CVD data object to at least one device with an operating system that is different than an operating system layer of the CVD data object.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the cloning the one or more layers of the CVD data object to each of the multiple computing devices further comprises: providing client software to at least one device of the multiple computing devices, the client software enabling the at least one device to request updates that have been made to the CVD data object by the one of the computing devices that has been designated a master.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the multiple computing devices includes two or more different types of devices including at least one tablet device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the multiple computing devices includes at least two different devices from a set of a personal computer workstation, a laptop, a mobile device and/or a virtual machine.